JP2012181799A - Convertible computer and method for improving antenna performance - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a computer having excellent radio wave characteristics of antennas at a tablet input position.SOLUTION: A display housing accommodates antennas 51 at its upper edge. The antennas are located inward from a front side end face 14c of a system housing at a non-use position and a keyboard input position so as to face or be adjacent to the system housing 11. When the display housing is rotated from the non-use position to the keyboard input position and then rotated to a tablet input position so that a back face of the display housing faces a keyboard, a hinge mechanism 100 shifts the display housing in a direction of the front side end face 14c of the system housing. At the tablet input position, the antennas are located outward from the front side end face so as not to face the system housing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for improving antenna performance in a tablet input mode of a convertible computer.

  Among personal computers, a thin computer that is input with a pen or a finger to a display is called a tablet personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a tablet PC). A tablet PC provides functions equivalent to those of a notebook personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a notebook PC) by inputting with a pen or a finger without using a keyboard. There are two types of tablet PCs: a convertible type and a pure tablet type. The convertible type has a structure that can be used as either a notebook PC or a tablet PC by changing the display direction of the notebook PC on which a keyboard is mounted. The pure tablet type does not have a keyboard and only inputs to the display.

  Hereinafter, when simply described as a computer in this specification, it indicates a convertible tablet PC. A state in which the computer operates as a notebook PC that inputs from a keyboard is referred to as a keyboard input mode, and a state that operates as a tablet PC that inputs from a display is referred to as a tablet input mode. A computer can be connected to a network via a wireless local area network (LAN) or a wireless wide area network (WAN) by being equipped with a wireless communication device and an antenna. At this time, the antenna is provided around the display housing in order to improve the radio wave transmission / reception characteristics.

  In general, the antenna is arranged on the upper edge of the display casing so that the best radio wave characteristics can be expected at the position of the display casing when used in the keyboard input mode. In this specification, the position of the display housing in the keyboard input mode is referred to as a keyboard input position. FIG. 9 is an external view of a conventional computer equipped with an antenna. The computer 10 stores a system device and mounts a keyboard 15 on its surface. An input display panel 17 is a combination of a digitizer function for inputting with a pen, a touch screen function for inputting with a finger, and a liquid crystal display. The display housing | casing 13 which accommodates is provided.

  The system casing 11 and the display casing 13 are connected by a hinge mechanism 21 at the center of each end. The hinge mechanism 21 supports these casings so as to be rotatable in a direction to open and close each other. Further, the hinge mechanism 21 rotates the display housing 13 within a range of at least 180 degrees at the keyboard input position where the display housing 13 is opened from the system housing 11 until the input display panel and the back surface of the display housing 13 are reversed. It is possible to make it.

  In the keyboard input mode shown in FIG. 9A, the computer 10 can be used by operating the keyboard 15 like a normal notebook PC. Further, the display housing 13 at the keyboard input position is rotated as shown in FIG. 9B, and the back surface of the display housing 13 is overlaid on the system housing 11 as shown in FIG. 9C. When folded and the input display panel 17 faces the front, the tablet input mode shown in FIG. In this specification, the position of the display housing 13 in the tablet input mode is referred to as a tablet input position.

  The display housing 13 includes four frame edges around the input display panel 17. The lower edge 12a is provided with a plurality of operation buttons 23 for changing the display direction and the screen to be displayed. A wireless WAN auxiliary antenna and a plurality of wireless LAN antennas are mounted inside the upper edge 12c. Further, a main antenna 60 of the wireless WAN is provided so as to protrude from the upper edge 12c. The upper edge 12c and the lower edge 12a communicate with each other at the left edge 12d and the right edge 12b so as to surround the input display panel 17.

  At the keyboard input position, the antenna housed in the upper edge 12c is not affected by the system casing 11, but at the tablet input position, the antenna is close to the system casing 11 and performance is degraded. Since the main antenna 60 of the wireless WAN is used for transmission and reception, higher performance than the auxiliary antenna is required. The main antenna 60 protrudes outward from the system casing 11 at the tablet input position so as not to receive radio wave interference from the system casing 11 even at the tablet input position.

  In Patent Document 1, in order to prevent the distance between the human body and the antenna from being approached when the convertible tablet PC is held and operated, the antenna is arranged inside the outer periphery of the system housing at the tablet input position. A hinge mechanism is disclosed.

JP 2008-158771 A

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the main antenna 60 protrudes from the side end surface of the upper edge 12c of the display housing 13, the overall dimensions of the entire housing increase or the antenna 60 faces upward when stored in the cabinet. It is inconvenient because it is necessary to set the position. It is also desirable to maintain the radio wave characteristics of all antennas at the same position as the keyboard input position while maintaining the size of the system chassis at the tablet input position. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a convertible computer having a good antenna radio wave characteristic at the tablet input position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the radio wave characteristics of an antenna at a tablet input position of a convertible computer.

  The present invention relates to a convertible computer that can be used at either a keyboard input position or a tablet input position. The computer has a system housing for mounting a keyboard, a display housing for housing a display, and an antenna mounted around the display housing. The display housing and the system housing are coupled so as to be rotatable by a hinge mechanism.

  The hinge mechanism rotatably supports the display casing so that the antenna is positioned inside the side end face of the system casing at the use stop position and positioned outside the side end face of the system casing at the tablet input position. In the use stop position, the positions of at least three side end surfaces of the display casing and the system casing can be aligned. The at least three side end surfaces can be the front, left, and right side end surfaces when the user directly faces the input display panel at the keyboard input position.

  The hinge mechanism has a horizontal axis that rotatably supports the display housing within a range of at least 180 degrees from the use stop position, and a vertical axis that rotatably supports the horizontal axis within a range of at least 180 degrees. At the use stop position, the vertical axis does not intersect with at least one of the lines passing through the horizontal center of the display housing when facing the input display panel at the horizontal axis or the keyboard input position. Can do.

  The side end surface of the system casing on which the antenna is disposed outside can be a side end surface on the near side when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position. At this time, the hinge mechanism can be configured such that the horizontal axis is disposed on the far side of the system housing from the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the horizontal axis is disposed on the near side from the vertical axis at the tablet input position.

  The side end surface of the system housing in which the antenna is arranged outside can be the right or left side end surface when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position. At this time, the hinge mechanism can be configured such that the aforementioned line is disposed on the left or right side of the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the aforementioned line is disposed on the right or left side of the vertical axis at the tablet input position.

  The side end surface of the system casing on which the antenna is disposed outside can be either the right side or the left side end surface when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position and the front side end surface. At this time, in the hinge mechanism, the horizontal axis is arranged on the far side of the system housing from the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the above-mentioned line is arranged on the left or right side of the vertical axis, and the horizontal axis is arranged on the tablet input position from the vertical axis It can be configured such that it is arranged on the front side of the system casing and the above-mentioned line is arranged on the right side or the left side of the vertical axis.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a convertible computer having good antenna radio wave characteristics at the tablet input position. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method for improving the radio wave characteristics of an antenna at a tablet input position of a convertible computer can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outer shape of a computer 50 according to the present embodiment. It is a figure explaining the structure of the hinge structure. It is a figure explaining the behavior of the hinge mechanism 100 when the display housing | casing 13 rotates centering | focusing on the vertical axis | shaft 203. FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode that the display housing | casing 13 shifts in the direction of the near side end surface 14c, when the computer 50 to which the hinge mechanism 100 is applied changes a posture from a use stop position to a tablet input position. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 3 which shows the other example of a hinge mechanism. It is a figure which shows a mode that the display housing | casing 13 shifts in the direction of the right end surface 14b, when the computer 300 to which the hinge mechanism of FIG. 5 is applied changes the posture from the use stop position to the tablet input position. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 3, FIG. 5 which shows the other example of a hinge mechanism. When the computer 400 to which the hinge function 140 of FIG. 7 is applied changes the posture from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the display housing 13 shifts in the direction of the right end face 14b and the direction of the front end face 14c, respectively. FIG. It is an external view of the conventional computer equipped with an antenna.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outer shape of a computer 50 according to the present embodiment. The computer 50 is mainly different from the computer 10 in FIG. 9 in that the structure of the hinge mechanism 100 and the main antenna of the wireless WAN are mounted inside the upper edge of the display housing 13. To the extent that it is not necessary to distinguish the embodiments throughout the present specification, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements in the drawings, and the description is omitted.

  Based on the user who is directly facing the input display panel 17 at the keyboard input position, the periphery of the system housing 11 is referred to as a back end face 14a, a right end face 14b, a front end face 14c, and a left end face 14d. The system housing 11 and the display housing 13 are coupled by a hinge mechanism 100. The structure of the hinge mechanism 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the hinge mechanism 100. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the display housing 13 rotated to the keyboard input position and cut along a plane including the vertical shaft 203 and parallel to the back end surface 14a. FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the structure of the rotating portion of the hinge mechanism 100. The hinge mechanism 100 includes a rotating portion 101, horizontal bearing portions 111a and 111b, and a vertical bearing portion 113. The horizontal bearing portions 111 a and 111 b are fixed inside the lower edge 12 a of the display housing 13. The vertical bearing portion 113 is fixed inside the system housing 11 at a position near the back end surface 14 a at the center in the left-right direction of the system housing 11.

  The rotating unit 101 includes a connecting unit 103, horizontal cylindrical units 105a and 105b, and a vertical cylindrical unit 107. The connecting portion 103 connects the horizontal cylindrical portions 105a and 105b and the vertical cylindrical portion 107 so as not to rotate or move with respect to each other. The horizontal cylindrical portion 105a is rotatably supported by the horizontal bearing portion 111a, and the horizontal cylindrical portion 105b is rotatably supported by the horizontal bearing portion 111b. A horizontal axis 201 is defined at the center of the horizontal cylindrical portions 105a and 105b.

  Now, when the use of the computer 10 is stopped or carried, the position of the display housing 13 when the input display panel 17 is closed so as to face the keyboard 15 is referred to as a use stop position. The display housing 13 can be rotated around the horizontal axis 201 in an angle range of at least 180 degrees from the use stop position until the input display panel 17 completely faces upward. At that time, the horizontal bearing portions 111a and 111b respectively apply a predetermined braking torque to the horizontal cylindrical portions 105a and 105b. Therefore, the user can apply a force stronger than the braking torque to rotate the display housing 13 around the horizontal axis 201, but the display housing 13 stops at an arbitrary position when the hand is released.

  The vertical cylindrical portion 107 is rotatably supported by the vertical bearing portion 113. A vertical axis 203 is defined at the center of the vertical cylindrical portion 107. The display housing 13 supported by the horizontal cylindrical portions 105a and 105b is configured such that the rear surface of the display housing 13 faces the keyboard 15 side from the keyboard input position where the input display panel 17 faces the keyboard 15 side about the vertical axis 203. It can be rotated within an angle range of at least 180 degrees until it faces. At that time, the vertical bearing portion 113 gives a predetermined braking torque to the vertical cylindrical portion 107. Therefore, the display housing 13 does not rotate about the vertical axis 203 only by lightly touching it at the keyboard input position.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of the hinge mechanism 100 when the display housing 13 rotates about the vertical axis 203. FIG. 3 schematically shows a state in which the hinge mechanism is viewed from above so that the upper side of the figure is positioned in the direction of the back end face 14a. 3A shows a conventional hinge mechanism, FIG. 3B shows the state of the hinge mechanism 100 at the use stop position, and FIG. 3C shows the state of the hinge mechanism 100 at the tablet input position. Show. The state of the hinge mechanism at the use stop position and the keyboard input position is the same in the expression of FIG.

  The line 207 is a line that passes through the center in the left-right direction of the display housing 13 at the use stop position and the tablet input position, and is perpendicular to the back end face 14a. The line 207 also coincides with the center line of the system housing 11 in the left-right direction. The center in the left-right direction of the display housing 11 corresponds to the center of the distance between the right end face 16b and the left end face 16d shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the line 207 intersects the vertical axis 203 in all cases. However, the present invention can also be applied when the line 207 does not intersect the vertical axis 203.

  In the conventional hinge mechanism, the horizontal cylindrical portion 105 and the vertical cylindrical portion 107 are coupled so that the horizontal axis 201 and the vertical axis 203 intersect as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the horizontal cylindrical portion 105 rotates 180 degrees around the vertical axis 203 from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the distance X1 from the back end surface 14a to the horizontal axis 201 is the same before and after the rotation. Become.

  On the other hand, in the hinge mechanism 100 according to the present embodiment, the horizontal axis 201 of the horizontal cylindrical portion 105 is displaced from the vertical axis 203 in the direction of the back end face 14a by the distance Y at the use stop position in FIG. is doing. At this time, the distance from the back end face 14a to the horizontal axis 201 is set to X2. When the horizontal cylindrical portion 105 is rotated 180 degrees around the vertical axis 203 from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the horizontal axis 201 is just a distance Y from the vertical axis 203 as shown in FIG. It is positioned at a position displaced in the direction of the side end face 14c. At this time, if the distance from the back end surface 14a to the horizontal axis 201 is X3, X3 = X2 + 2 * Y. Therefore, when the posture of the display housing 13 is changed from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the display housing 13 is shifted by the distance 2Y in the direction of the front side end face 14c with respect to the system housing 11.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the display housing 13 is shifted in the direction of the front end face 14c when the computer 50 to which the hinge mechanism 100 is applied changes the posture from the use stop position to the tablet input position. 4A is a plan view at the use stop position, and FIG. 4B is a left side view at the use stop position. FIG. 4C is a plan view at the tablet input position, and FIG. 4D is a left side view at the tablet input position.

  Here, in correspondence with the system casing 11, the four side end faces of the display casing 13 are a rear side face 16a, a right end face 16b, a front end face 16c, and a left end face 16d. The right end faces 14b and 16b, the front end faces 14c and 16c, and the left end faces 14d and 16d of the system casing 11 and the display casing 13 are aligned in plan at the use stop position. 4A and 4B, the antennas 51a to 51d mounted inside the upper edge 12c are positioned on the inner side (keyboard 15 side) of the front end surface 14c of the system housing 11. It faces the surface of the system housing 11.

  At the keyboard input position, since the system casing 11 does not exist around the antennas 51a to 51d mounted inside the upper edge 12c, the antennas 51a to 51d can maintain good radio wave characteristics. 4C and 4D, the front side end face 16c of the display housing 13 is shifted by 2 * Y to the outside of the front side end face 14c of the system housing 11 with respect to the keyboard input position. ing. Therefore, since the antennas 51a to 51d are positioned outside the front end face 14c and do not face the system casing 11, the antennas 51a to 51d are not affected by the system casing 11 or internal metal parts and maintain good radio wave characteristics.

  FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing another example of the hinge mechanism. FIG. 5A shows the state of the hinge mechanism 120 at the use stop position, and FIG. 5B shows the state of the hinge mechanism 120 at the tablet input position. The line 211 is a line that passes through the center of the display housing 13 in the left-right direction and is perpendicular to the back end surface 14a. The line 211 also coincides with the center line in the left-right direction of the system housing 11 at the use stop position. The line 211 and the vertical axis 203 are separated by a distance Y. Therefore, when the posture of the display housing 13 is changed from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the display housing 13 is shifted by the distance 2 * Y in the direction of the right end surface 14b with respect to the system housing 11.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the display housing 13 shifts in the direction of the right end surface 14b when the computer 300 to which the hinge function 120 is applied changes the posture from the use stop position to the tablet input position. FIG. 6A is a plan view at the use stop position, and FIG. 6B is a front view at the use stop position. FIG. 6C is a plan view at the tablet input position, and FIG. 6D is a front view at the tablet input position. The right end faces 14b and 16b, the front end faces 14c and 16c, and the left end faces 14d and 16d of the system casing 11 and the display casing 13 are aligned in plan at the use stop position.

  The computer 300 has the antennas 53a to 53c mounted inside the left edge 12d of the display housing 13, and is positioned inside the left end surface 14d at the use stop position shown in FIGS. 6 (A) and 6 (B). Opposite the system casing 11. At the keyboard input position, since the system casing 11 does not exist around the antennas 53a to 53c, good radio wave characteristics are maintained.

  In the tablet input position shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the left end surface 16d of the display housing 13 is shifted from the right end surface 14b of the system housing 11 by 2 * Y with respect to the keyboard input position. . Therefore, since the antennas 53a to 53c are positioned outside the right end surface 14b and do not face the system casing 11, the antennas 53a to 53c are not affected by the system casing 11 or internal metal parts and maintain good radio wave characteristics. The antennas 53a to 53c are mounted inside the right edge 12b, and the hinge mechanism is configured so that the right end surface 16b of the display housing 13 is shifted outward from the left end surface 14d of the system housing 11 at the tablet input position. Also good.

  FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 5 showing another example of the hinge mechanism. FIG. 7A shows the state of the hinge mechanism 140 at the use stop position, and FIG. 7B shows the state of the hinge mechanism 140 at the tablet input position. The line 215 is a line that passes through the center in the left-right direction of the display housing 13 and is perpendicular to the back-side end surface 14a. The line 215 also coincides with the center line in the left-right direction of the system housing 11 at the use stop position. The vertical axis 203 and the line 215 are separated by a distance Y, and the vertical axis 203 and the horizontal axis 201 are also separated by a distance Y. Therefore, when the posture of the display housing 13 is changed from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the display housing 13 is shifted by the distance 2 * Y from the system housing 11 in the direction of the right end surface 14b and the direction of the front end surface 14c. It will be.

  FIG. 8 shows that when the computer 400 to which the hinge function 140 is applied changes the posture from the use stop position to the tablet input position, the display housing 13 shifts in the direction of the right end surface 14b and the direction of the front end surface 14c, respectively. FIG. FIG. 8A is a plan view at the use stop position, and FIG. 8B is a plan view at the tablet input position. The right end faces 14b and 16b, the front end faces 14c and 16c, and the left end faces 14d and 16d of the system casing 11 and the display casing 13 are aligned in plan at the use stop position.

  In the computer 400, the antennas 51a to 51d are mounted inside the upper edge 12c of the display housing 13, and the antennas 53a to 53c are mounted inside the left edge 12d. As shown in FIG. In position, the antennas 51a to 51d are positioned inside the front side end surface 14c, and the antennas 53a to 53c are positioned inside the left side end surface 14d and face the system casing 11.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, in the tablet input position, the antennas 51a to 51d are positioned outside the front end surface 14c of the system housing 11, and the antennas 53a to 53c are positioned outside the right end surface 14b. Since it does not face the system casing 11, it is not affected by the system casing 11 or internal metal parts, and maintains good radio wave characteristics. The computer 400 is effective when the number of antennas to be mounted is increased because the radio wave characteristics at the tablet input positions of all the antennas mounted on the left edge 12d as well as the upper edge 12c are improved. The antennas 53a to 53c are mounted inside the right edge 12b, and at the tablet input position, the antennas 51a to 51d are positioned outside the front side end surface 14c of the system housing 11, and the antennas 53a to 53c are set to the left side end surface 14d. You may make it comprise a hinge mechanism so that it may be located in the outer side.

  In the computer 50, 300, 400, the antenna may approach the human body when used in the tablet input mode. In this case, the state in which the antenna approaches the human body by detecting the display direction of the screen with the gravitational accelerometer If the computer determines that the SAR is held, the radio wave output from the antenna can be reduced or stopped to make the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) less than the allowable value. In that case, the input display panel 17 can display an antenna usage restriction so that the user can hold the computer away from the body.

Although the present invention has been described with the specific embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, and is known so far as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. It goes without saying that any configuration can be adopted.

50, 300, 400 ... convertible computer 11 ... system housing 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d ... lower, right, upper, left edge 13 of display housing ... display housings 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d ... system Back side, right side, front side, left side end face 15 of the casing ... Keyboards 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d ... Back side, right side, front side, left side end face 17 of the display casing ... Input display panels 100, 120 , 140 ... hinge mechanism 201 ... horizontal axis 203 ... vertical axes 207, 211 and 215 ... lines passing through the center in the left-right direction of the display housing

Claims (10)

A convertible computer that can be used in either the keyboard input position or the tablet input position,
A system housing for mounting the keyboard;
A display housing containing an input display panel;
An antenna mounted around the display housing;
A hinge mechanism that pivotally supports the display casing so that the antenna is positioned inside a side end face of the system casing at a use stop position and the antenna is positioned outside the side end face at the tablet input position; Having a computer.   The computer according to claim 1, wherein positions of at least three side end surfaces of the display housing and the system housing are aligned at the use stop position. The hinge mechanism is
A horizontal axis that rotatably supports the display housing within a range of at least 180 degrees from the use stop position;
A vertical axis that rotatably supports the horizontal axis in a range of at least 180 degrees;
At the use stop position, at least one of the lines passing through the horizontal center of the display housing when facing the input display panel at the horizontal axis or the keyboard input position intersects the vertical axis. The computer according to claim 1 or 2, configured to not.   The computer according to claim 3, wherein the side end surface is a side end surface on the near side when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position.   5. The computer according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal axis is disposed on the far side of the system housing with respect to the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the horizontal axis is disposed on the near side with respect to the vertical axis at the tablet input position.   The computer according to claim 3, wherein the side end surface is a right side or a left side end surface when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position.   The computer according to claim 6, wherein the line is arranged on the left or right side of the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the line is arranged on the right or left side of the vertical axis at the tablet input position.   The computer according to claim 3, wherein the side end surface is a side end surface on either the right side or the left side when facing the input display panel at the keyboard input position, and a side end surface on the near side.   The horizontal axis is disposed on the back side of the system casing with respect to the vertical axis at the use stop position, and the line is disposed on the left side or the right side with respect to the vertical axis, and the horizontal axis is the vertical axis at the tablet input position. The computer according to claim 8, wherein the computer is arranged on the nearer side and the line is arranged on the right side or the left side of the vertical axis. A convertible computer that can be used at either the keyboard input position or the tablet input position, with a display housing that houses an input display panel in the center and an antenna in the periphery, and a system housing that can be rotated at the joint. In the method of improving the radio wave characteristics of the antenna at the tablet input position,
Positioning the antenna inside a side end surface of the system housing at a use stop position where the display housing is closed;
A first rotation step for rotating the display housing from the use stop position to a keyboard input position;
A second rotation step of rotating until the input display panel and the rear surface of the display housing are reversed at the keyboard input position;
The coupling unit moving the display housing in the direction of one of the side end surfaces of the system housing in accordance with the execution of the second rotation step;
And a third rotation step of rotating the display housing to the tablet input position so that the back surface of the system housing faces the keyboard.

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